


Family Snapshots

by RyoChi28



Series: Finding Family [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Mentions of Violence, Mentions of past abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyoChi28/pseuds/RyoChi28
Summary: A collection of moments that occur between the members of the large and ever-growing band of misfits that become family throughout the multiple works in this series.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen, Sara Lance/Leonard Snart
Series: Finding Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977415
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	1. Always His Family Part 1 (in Returning to Love)

Lisa slipped back into the bedroom she and her brother were sharing in the Arrow Bunker. The older thief had woken up from his coma a few weeks before, taking that worry and fear from her. Mind wandering, she headed to take a shower after the workout she’d had with Thea while Len prepped the large lunch he had planned. She never expected to be surrounded by actual friends and family, but she was now, and it was all because of her brother. Felicity quickly weaseled her way into their little family with her kindness, snark, and quirkiness, an action Lisa found amusing. The same could be said about Thea, too. She could play the stereotypical little sister role very well. Lisa knew the younger woman would never take her place. She hadn’t been through the Snart family hell. Thea and the Queens had been through their own. She knew she could turn the tables and play up the little sister act towards Oliver herself, showing Thea how it feels, but she would never try to take the younger Queen’s spot.

The younger thief stepped out of the bathroom, thoughts still buzzing in her mind. She knew she could never be replaced in her brother’s eyes, so why did the younger woman’s teasing of Lenny, calling him by the nickname originally reserved only for her and Mick bother her so much?

Len watched his younger sister step out of the bathroom, deep in thought. He could tell something was bothering her, so he waited for her to turn her attention onto him. But she remained zoned out, brows furrowed with a deep frown on her lips.

Finally, he cleared his throat, startling her slightly. “Something on your mind?”

She stiffened slightly before slipping a disarming smile onto her face. “Of course not. What could possibly be on my mind? You finally woke up, and now we’re surrounded by people that are becoming our friends.” She waved away the notion. “I just had a long work out with the little Queen, that’s all.”

Leonard eyed her before slowly nodding, “Now, I’ll ask you again: what’s on your mind?” He could tell she was about to deny him again, so he put up a hand to interrupt her, “I taught you deflection and misdirection. Why did you think it would work on me?”

She sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. Lisa followed his indication to sit on his bed, but the moment she sat down, she began to fiddle with her rings, purposefully not looking at him. Finally, she began to speak in a quiet voice, “I don’t know.” She swallowed thickly, “Mickey and I are the only ones allowed to call you Lenny.”

“Ah,” he murmured. He understood, she was worried and jealous. He sat up fully, knew he was going to have to tread cautiously. He couldn’t make her feel that her worry and thoughts were silly, no matter how ungrounded they may be. “Have you said anything to Barry and Thea?”

She scoffed, “Barry learned. That’s why he calls you Len now.” She bit her lip, “Thea is doing it because she knows it’s a nickname only a select few get to call you, and she’s playing up the ‘little sister act’.”

He nodded, “But she’s not my little sister, not my true little sister. She wasn’t the constant in my life that kept me alive since she was born.” He reached out his hand to her. “That’s you, Lis. It will only ever be you.”

She took his hand and let him tug her to the space beside him. Lisa curled against his side as he pulled her near. “She’s going to wiggle her way into our family.”

“She will,” he agreed, “but she will never be able to take your place in this family. She’ll never have the connection we have with each other and with Mick.” He kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek there. 

They were quiet for a long stretch before Lisa tapped his chest. “None of the guys will ever take your or Mick’s place either.” Her hand fisted his shirt, “I love you,” she murmured.

He held her tighter, amazed by the moment they were in, "Love you, too." He quietly spoke it into her hair, his lips brushing her scalp so that she not only heard the slightly muffled words but felt them as well.

She settled into his chest, feeling the security and truth in his words, safe for the first time in years. She'd tried to convince herself when he'd gone missing that she didn't need him anymore, but she knew it was a lie. She would always need her big brothers, both of them. They were never going to be replaced, and now she was assured that she wouldn't either. It was all she needed: that reassurance.


	2. How is This Our Lives?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with nice conversation between Diggle and Leonard. Then little J.J. is introduced to Leonard, giving the boy a new uncle.

John Diggle decided it was time to get to know the freshly awoken newcomer. Leonard Snart had high praise from the likes of Ray, Stein, and Jax, and he’d been the man Sara cried for right along with her sister. His partner, Mick, helped them out a lot in the last couple of near earth-shattering events, even somehow figured out how to save Stein with the combined use of Gideon and Gadriel. Martin attributed still being alive to both thieves. Besides, the military man knew it was only a matter of time before his son asked to meet the man William Queen suddenly greatly adored.

Lisa was out once again with Thea. The younger had some gala she had to attend as her brother’s liaison. The two women drug Quentin along since he was going as the assistant mayor as Oliver had other business, out of town, to deal with. Diggle knew the thief was going to be alone, so he gave a sharp knock on the door and waited.

A few moments passed before the door opened to reveal Leonard standing in the doorway. There was a beat and then the ice-user was moving out of the way to let the larger man in the room. “Hello, John. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

The man shrugged. “Just wanted to get to know you since you’re going to be here for a while.”

The thief slowly nodded, “I get that. Got to make sure you’re not letting just anyone reside so close to your family.”

  
  


Diggle relaxed back into his seat, “Yeah. I knew you’d understand.” He held a beat before continuing. “I know you also understand that family doesn’t always mean biological.” He eyed the other for a moment.

  
  


“Just like I’m sure you know biology doesn’t always mean family.” There was a look in Len’s eyes that told Diggle the thief knew something they weren’t real shure he should have known.

  
  


“I do. I’ve also had to remind myself that a few times. It’s something most of us have had to remind ourselves of too many times.”

  
  


Leonard gave a contemplative nod. “It’s something Lisa and I had proved to us many times over the years, especially as kids.” He paused for a moment, the faraway look slowly dissipating to allow him to focus on the larger man. “Sara told me about Thea and Merlin.”

  
  


“That explains a lot.” Diggle tapped his fingers against his leg. “Barry and Lisa told us about your father and what you had to do.”

  
  


Len sighed, “Are you really under the impression that I had to do it?” He cut his eyes at the other man.

  
  


Diggle pinched the bridge of his nose, “He threatened to kill your sister, nearly did. He had a way to force you to do everything he wanted with no guarantee that he wouldn’t go through with it anyway. My little brother did the same thing, threatened my wife and son. I had to make sure he couldn’t go after them or his ex-wife and their son. If Darhk told him to, he would have killed us all.”

  
  


“Do you regret it?”

  
  


“Do you?” Diggs contemplated his answer. “I don’t regret the action of doing anything to protect my family. I do regret having to be the one to do it.”

  
  


Len nodded in understanding, “I regret never having a reason to mourn him. Part of me wishes I’d put him under years ago, but I also wish I didn’t feel that way.”

  
  


“The only thing I see you should be grieving is the missed opportunity to receive what you should have always had: a loving father.”

  
  


“Guess Barry spilled my childhood too.”

  
  


Diggle shook his head, “Didn’t have to. I helped Quentin and Oliver dress you. I saw the scars. You would’ve had a much longer criminal record than what Barry got rid of if you’d gotten all those during your adult crime sprees.”

  
  


Len chuckled, “You are very correct about that.”

  
  


They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Diggle hummed, “So how was dealing with time travel as someone as time-oriented and methodical as you?”

  
  


The answer began with a deep sigh. “The planning side of things obviously did me in, but until the last of the mission, that was because of the Time Masters. The part that really got to me were the actual changes to time. I have an eidetic memory, so it’s a little disorienting until you get used to it.”

  
  


“So, for certain events you have two sets of memories?”

  
  


“Not quite. It’s more like I feel like something isn’t right with the new world story line. If I have to dwell on anything for very long, I get severe headaches.”

  
  


“That can’t be fun with Barry adding to things by trying to save his parents.”

  
  


Leonard shrugged, “If he was able to do it with no backlash, I wouldn’t begrudge him. He’d deserved to have a better childhood than he got.”

  
  


Diggle snorted, “He had a pretty good childhood from what I saw. He had a good loving foster family.”

  
  


The ice-user slowly nodded, “Yep, a loving foster father in the police officer that arrested his loving biological father, a man he’d supposedly known for years and was best friends with. The same loving foster father that continuously told his foster son he was crazy for telling what he saw, that he was just traumatized and couldn’t believe his father was a murderer.” He paused for a moment before shaking his head. “Shuffled between psychologists with all of them telling you to stop lying because it was so very obvious you were delusional and didn’t know what you were talking about. That person you’ve known your entire life isn’t what you see. No, that person is better known by everyone else.”

  
  


Digs frowned, “They just followed the evidence.”

  
  


“And I’m living proof that evidence, correctly interpreted or not, don’t mean crap.” He eyed the other man for a moment longer. “Remember, all those scars you saw? They should have been enough to at least get an investigation going for child abuse, especially the cigarette burns. But. No one ever listens to the damn kid, do they? They just make up wild tales because they were told to do something they didn’t want to do.” He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, “Believe me, I heard it all, just like I’m sure Barry heard it all. A man in lightning is more believable than an innocent, loving Lewis Snart.”

  
  


John had to concede that point, sadly. Lewis was no good man, regardless of what his children eventually became. Finally, he sighed, roughly rubbing his eyes. “I see your point.”

  
  


Leonard slowly nodded, letting the man off the hook. “How does your wife like being the director of a super secret military agency after the previous sadistic leader?”

  
  


Diggle chuckled, “She’s getting through it pretty well so far, though there are still some more loyal to Waller than anything else. Sometimes a ghost is hard to live up to.”

  
  


The thief tapped his finger against his arm, “She gave those men the permission to be cruel and no one wants to look in the mirror after being shown a different way and have to think that maybe they were wrong, especially if they don’t want to be any different.”

  
  


“Lyla’s come up against a few of them like that. She’s trying to weed them out, but some of them just hide it too well with charming words and skirting around the line of not far enough and, yet, too far.”

  
  


“Those can be the most problematic. If I had any on my crew like that, I tended to dispatch them. Now, whether that was by cold steel or an anonymous tip all depends on when in my life they came through.”

  
  


Diggle nodded in contemplation, "If only Lyla could get away with that."

  
  


"Which one? Killing or arresting?"

  
  


"Yes," Diggle smirked.

  
  


The answer startled a chuckle out of Leonard. With a shake of his head, he responded, "Good answer."

  
  


The two men sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before John picked another subject, and they continued to get to know each other. The military man decided to put off talking about Sara for the moment. He wasn't sure what Quentin had told him so far, and he really didn't want to go into any of that when he'd only just started their first conversation. 

  
  


By the end of it, Diggle felt he understood the thief a little better, and the person he'd gotten to know, he could trust to watch his back.

  
  


*******

  
  


Over the following couple of weeks, John and Len continued to get to know each other. Diggle could really appreciate the thief's sense of humor and snarkiness, especially when it was directed at Oliver. The other man fit surprisingly well into their group despite what Ramirez and Dinah would comment. They’d talked about Sara after he mentioned his daughter, and there was no mistaking the care the thief had for their friend. John didn’t want to see the man’s heart broken after everything he’d been through, and wasn’t that the shock of the century?

  
  


Of course, talking about his daughter led to them talking about the little boy that was becoming increasingly more interested in the man William wouldn’t shut up about. John was going to bring J.J. the next day to finally meet Len, and the thief was fine with it.

  
  


The five year old was extremely excited the following day to be going to the Arrow Bunker, and it had nothing to do with seeing his aunts and uncles. Once there, he still greeted them as he usually did, but he peered around the entire time for a glimpse of the thief.

  
  


"Lenny's right through that door, sweetie." Lisa pointed to the room her brother was currently resting in after his physical therapy. 

  
  


"Thank you," came his soft voice before he ran over to the door in question and knocked.

  
  


It was only a moment before J.J. heard a muffled: "Come in."

  
  


Suddenly shy, he reached his small hand up and gently turned the knob. He tentatively entered the room. Leonard looked over and

gave a nod to the boy. J.J. slowly made his way closer, fighting the want to hide in his father's wall of safety, regardless of how nice and incredible William said the thief was.

  
  


"So," came Len's soft drawl, "I finally get to meet the infamous John Diggle, Jr."

  
  


The boy gave him a confused look, "Infamous?"

  
  


Leonard chuckled, "William has had a lot of fun telling me all of the schemes you've helped him come up with." He smirked. "Good work."

  
  


J.J.'s eyes widened before he began to laugh and rushed over, beginning a tale of his side of the schemes. Diggle shook his head with a soft chuckle as Len glanced over at him, eyes alight with humor and mischief. The thief's attention settled back on the boy, commenting from time to time how to tweak things to go smoother the next time the scheme was used. 

  
  


After a couple of hours, Lyla came to pick up her son to take him home while Diggle stayed at the Bunker for a while longer. She knocked on the door, still slightly leery of her husband leaving her son alone with world renowned thief, but most of that fear went away when she opened to door to see her son leaning against the man’s leg, patiently listening to every word J.J. said.

  
  


She was surprised that the man was actually helping her son to sharpen his cognitive function through presenting him with puzzles in the form of scheming. He was forcing her son to think in all angles and in a fun way. She almost hated having to take her son away, but J.J. had homework to finish, and she could see the exhaustion in Leonard’s eyes. "Alright, J.J., that's enough for today. You can come back some other time and visit again, but you need to finish your homework then get dinner."

  
  


The boy pouted before giving his mother a pleading look, one that had no effect. Finally, he sighed, "I have to go, Mr. Len. Can I come back to visit you again?"

  
  


"Of course. It’s a nice change of pace than being around all those stiff and stuffy adults." 

  
  


Len leaned forward to help the boy off his bed, and J.J. took it as the perfect opportunity to give the thief a big hug. Len froze for a second, eyes wide, and the slight panic Lyla saw in them broke her heart. After a moment, he returned the boy's hug awkwardly before sending him on with his mother.

  
  


*********

  
  


It became more routine for Len to see J.J. than William. Lyla wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but John was happy to have another babysitter since baby Sara had days she needed more attention, and J.J. needed help with homework. In fact, Leonard was explaining the material better than the teacher and was able to keep the boy’s attention much better. The boy was excelling with Len. William came by for homework help as well, and Oliver was surprised to see how much his son was also improving.

  
  


Rene Ramirez just couldn’t understand why both sets of parents were trusting the man, the criminal, with their children. It really blew him away when John came in with a crying and upset baby Sara and pouting J.J. The military man marched over to Len, dropped the baby bag beside the other man’s chair before shoving the screaming child into his arms. Then he pushed J.J. into the seat beside the thief.

  
  


“Don’t move,” Diggle ordered sternly before turning to Len, “Can you try getting her to stop? Lyla’s out on a mission, and Sara obviously doesn’t want me.”

  
  


Leonard chuckled, “Go take your frustration out on a punching bag or a team mate, and I’ll take care of Sara.”

  
  


John did exactly that, grabbing Ramirez as he walked past, dragging the man to the mats.

  
  


Len turned his attention to William, “Think about the subject of the presentation and start planning out the outline, not the context. That way, you won’t get overwhelmed again. I’ll be right back.” He turned to the younger boy, “Get your homework out then we’ll talk about the pouting.”

  
  


The boy flinched and hurried to do as the man asked. The thief picked up the baby bag, and took the crying baby to another table in the conference area. With a sure, practiced hand, Len quickly set about checking on the baby girl’s needs. He changed her diaper, fixed her clothes so they laid slightly differently. He wrapped a blanket around the girl and settled her against his chest in a way she could hear his heart. It didn’t take long for her cries to stop, and she fell asleep.

  
  


He carefully walked back to his seat and sat down, making sure to not disturb the sleeping child. He looked to William to see him still planning his outline and general points. Then he turned his attention on J.J. “What’s got you pouting?”

  
  


After a sigh, the boy began, “I got in trouble at school today, and daddy got called in.”

  
  


Slowly, Len nodded, “What happened?”

  
  


“One of the other kids in my class was having problems in math, so I taught her the way you showed me, but the teacher didn’t like that. She said I was disturbing the class and teaching other kids wrong to get them to do bad on the test. I told her she was wrong, that it was just easier to understand than what she told us. She got madder, yelled at me, and told me to apologize. She drug me to the principal’s office because I said, ‘I’m sorry you’re too stupid to teach us a better way to learn this stuff, and no one understands you.’” The boy sniffled, trying to hold back his tears. “She called me a poorly disciplined little brat that needed to learn his place. That was when she grabbed my arm too tight, drug me out of the room, shoved me into the hall, and made me go to the principal’s office. That was when daddy was called in, and he got mad at me.”

  
  


Leonard mentally sighed as he reached over and ran his hand over the boy’s hair. “I’m proud that you tried to help your classmate. I’m also proud of you for standing up for yourself. I do have to tell you, though, not everyone wants to be told the truth about themselves or their state.” His voice was soft, and he could feel both boys holding onto his every word. “Some people can’t fight against the rules that have been laid out in front of them. There are a lot of reasons that is, and they aren’t all bad reasons. The best way to deal with someone like your teacher is to be better. Help the other students if you want, or keep it all to yourself, that’s your decision, J.J.”

  
  


After a moment the younger boy nodded, “None of them want me to help them anymore anyway. I got pushed and knocked down during recess. I hurt my knees.”

  
  


Len frowned, “Does anywhere else hurt?”

  
  


J.J. bit his lip before nodding and hovering his hand over his bicep region. “Where my teacher grabbed me.”

  
  


William’s attention immediately went to his friend, “Did it bruise, J.J.?”

  
  


The boy shrugged, head down. The older boy stood and walked over to the younger’s side of the table, helping him remove his jacket. Then he proceeded to pull up the thin short sleeve to reveal a hand shaped bruise around the boy’s upper arm. Len’s face shuttered to blank.

  
  


For once, Cisco and his portals had perfect timing. Barry and Caitlyn stepped out, and Len was standing before either could speak, gently shoving the sleeping Sara into Barry’s arms. “Hold this, don’t drop her, and don’t wake her. I have something to discuss with John.”

  
  


He slipped away before the two could speak their questions. He set out straight for the mats and interrupted the spar with a simple, “Diggle, a word.”

  
  


The military man finished the takedown maneuver on Rene before turning his attention to the thief. “What is it?”

  
  


Leonard simply motioned for him to follow before walking away towards his bedroom. John didn’t know what to think about the situation because he couldn’t get any kind of read off the other man. They’d become something of friends, and his neutral mask hadn’t been up with him for a few weeks now. What could have caused the change?

  
  


Len closed the door behind Diggle after they were through it and turned to the larger man, a dark look in his eyes. “J.J. told me he got in trouble at school today for helping another student and that you were angry with him.”

  
  


John shook his head, “I’m not angry at him for helping another student. I’m mad because of what he said to the teacher. That was disrespectful and uncalled for.”

  
  


“So, it was uncalled for to call a teacher out for trying to manipulate an entire class of children against one because at the age of five he can explain concepts better? I suppose, then, you’d say the bruise she left behind on your child was also uncalled for, or was that ok because he spoke up and embarrassed her?”

  
  


Diggle went deathly still. “What bruise?”

  
  


“Did you not even listen to your son’s side of the story? In plain words he told me of the tight grip the teacher used on his arm as she drug and threw him out of the room. There were also the injuries the other students caused because she led them to believe J.J. wants to make them look bad too.” 

  
  


The military man watched the thief for a moment before giving a small nod, regret slipping through his mask. Len held up a hand and slipped from the room. He walked over to a quietly crying J.J. and gently picked the child up into his arms. Leonard smiled softly at William, who’d been trying to comfort the younger boy. He held the child to his chest as J.J. pressed his face against his neck. 

  
  


“I’ve got you, J.J. I promise.”

  
  


The boy sniffled out a watery, “I know, Uncle Lenny,” and held on tighter.

  
  


Len hugged him tighter as he slipped back into his bedroom. He sat down on the bed, moving the small child to sit across his lap. Moving slowly so as to not scare the boy, he lifted the sleeve to show the larger man. 

  
  


Diggle got down on his knees in front of the man holding his son. “J.J.?” He kept his voice as soft as possible. “Will you show me where you were hurt today?”

  
  


The boy swallowed his tears and stared forward as he murmured, “I’m sorry, daddy.”

  
  


Diggle shook his head before reaching out and gently tipping his son’s chin to face him. “Now, none of that. You have no reason to be sorry. I’m sorry. I should have listened to you and your side of things.”

  
  


After a moment of watching his father carefully, J.J. slipped from Len’s lap and into his dad’s arms. Leonard silently left the room, making his way over to the conference table Barry now sat at with Sara and William. 

  
  


William’s attention snapped to the thief as he moved a chair out to sit. “Is J.J. ok?”

  
  


Len nodded, “He will be. Diggle’s taking care of him now. Though, that teacher needs to be relieved of her position. If she is going to treat any child like that, she doesn’t need to be around children.”

  
  


Barry frowned, “What happened?”

  
  


The door to Len’s temporary bedroom opened, and Diggle softly called out for Caitlyn. Worry filled the Speedster as he watched his friend and personal doctor rush over to the room. He turned his attention back to Leonard, silently begging to be let in on the problem. With a sigh, the ice user explained the issue of the day.

  
  


“I heard things about her when I was in that grade. I had a different teacher, but there were students very afraid of her,” William confessed. 

  
  


After a few more minutes of quiet, Leonard reached over and grabbed J.J.’s homework. Once he’d turned to the correct page, he began to quickly run through all of it. Over the rest of the night, Len bounced between helping take care of Sara to helping William with his homework and finishing J.J.’s. He knew the younger boy wouldn’t be in a good mental state to deal with any of it. It was all simple concepts that he’d be able to easily give a refresher on.

  
  


It was a few days later before J.J. returned. He ran straight for Len and jumped into his lap. “Guess what, Uncle Lenny! She got fired! My mean teacher! She got fired thanks to daddy and you!”

  
  


Leonard blinked, “Me?”

  
  


The boy nodded against his chest, “Yep. You got daddy to listen to me. Then daddy got mad which made her get fired.” He pulled away, pouting, “I did haf to apologize to her for callin her stupid, though. Even if it was the truth.”

  
  


“Sometimes we have to do things that we don’t want to do. Like me not freezing Barry when he ticks me off.”

  
  


J.J. giggled as Barry, visiting for training once again, scoffed. After a few moments, the little boy slipped from the man’s lap, grabbed his backpack and homework, and settled back into Len’s lap, contentedly beginning to work on the papers in front of him. 

  
  


Over the next few weeks, that was how Leonard’s days were spent once four o’clock or so rolled around. He was either being visited by William, J.J., or both. Barry thought it was adorable, especially as he lounged to talk after training. Lisa took so many pictures Len could do nothing but roll his eyes. She was happy that someone else was seeing the person she’d always seen in her brother. Rene was constantly making snide comments, but he was ignored. The rest of Team Arrow were happy to have someone that could look after the two children, protect them if it was needed, and help them both. Caitlyn was happy to have the two children keeping Leonard from doing too much after his training and his therapy each day.

  
  


Of course, eventually there was the day Len and Lisa had to go home. They all knew it was coming. The man was doing much better and was stronger than he'd been before the Oculus happened. His control over his ice abilities was also near perfect. They'd already gone home and defended Central City from the mob war. It was time everyone got back to their regular lives, whatever that was going to be now.

  
  


He'd almost finished packing when the two young children stepped into his room, pouting. "Do you really have to go, Uncle Lenny?"

  
  


The man mentally sighed at J.J.'s question. "Yeah, I do. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be around. They'll be needing help with something, eventually. Until then, here." He handed them both a slip of paper. "That has my personal cell phone number on it. Call if you need help or anything. Even if I don't answer immediately, I will call you back. You two deserve more than these idiots to talk to."

  
  


William and J.J. gave him a tight hug before leaving out of the room. He mentally sighed at the slightly damp spot on his hip from where J.J.'s face had been pressed. Len turned back to his packing when a soft knock fell on the door frame. He turned to see Diggle standing there, leaning against the wooden frame. "Came to say goodbye as well?"

  
  


"Something like that." He was quiet for a moment, watching the thief. After a bit he shook his head, "I think I've finally seen what Barry has seen in you forever."

  
  


Leonard simply sent him a raised eyebrow. Diggle chuckled. "The way you've stepped up with the kids and made sure they've been taken care of. That's the goodness Barry saw within you."

  
  


Len sighed heavily with an eye roll as he turned back to his packing, "All of you can keep telling yourselves that."

  
  


Diggle snorted and patted the thief on the shoulder, "And you keep telling yourself you aren't as heroic as you really are."

With that said, the military man left the room to let Len pack in peace. Len shook his head as he folded the last of his jeans and placed them in the bag. How had this, him being called a hero and good, become his life? He heard a giggle from outside the room and smiled slightly. Some of it may not be so bad, not that he was ever going to admit that out loud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was a bit off our usual update schedule. Last week was a little crazy between work being so busy I couldn't get a chance to stop and then came the snowstorm down here in the southern states. My yard still has snow in it which is a large change from most years.


	3. Correcting Some Misconceptions Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets the chance to truly meet the Leonard Snart her husband always saw and has become friends with.

Iris sighed as her husband ran off to Star City once again. He’d been visiting regularly for the last couple of months, ever since Leonard Snart returned. She was supportive of Barry helping the man recover, especially since his death had been due to saving free will for them. But, if she were being honest, she felt more like she was supporting him in keeping his friends safe from the thief. She knew she’d get a lecture from Barry about how much Snart had changed and what kind of man he really was, but she wasn’t sure if she could believe it. Especially since Barry had just sped out of their bedroom and to Star City after a distress call from the Arrow Bunker. She knew her dad would use it as proof the man couldn’t be trusted, that he was up to something if the Arrow had to send for backup against him. But Iris forced her mind to not go down the ‘I told you so’ route. She didn't know what was wrong, and she wanted to trust Barry, something she knew their dad sometimes struggled with if it didn’t go along with his wishes.

It was a few hours later that he finally came home. He had a sad look in his eyes, but not a disappointed one. Barry laid back down on their bed, leaning deeply into her arms as she wrapped them around him. “What happened, Barr?”

He sighed, “Lisa sent out the alert. Len’s powers activated while he was sleeping. He was having a brutal nightmare. Lewis was back, torturing, and killing all of us to break Len. Now he’s too afraid to sleep, worried that Lisa won’t wake up in time next time, and he’ll freeze her to death accidentally. He’s demanding to be allowed to start training for control, but I’m worried he’s gonna hurt himself.”

Iris had to admit, only to herself of course, that she was surprised that anyone outside Mick and Lisa meant enough to Snart for him to panic over so badly. Instead, she said, “You know Caitlyn won’t let anything happen to him. She’s taken over as his doctor, and she’s more stubborn about heath than any of you are. She’ll make sure he keeps things in moderation.”

He nodded, “And so will Lisa and Felicity, but they can’t all be with him every hour of the day.” He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I wouldn’t put it past the idiot to wait until everyone’s gone home or to sleep and train himself to death.”

“Well, if he does, let Caitlyn revive him so she can kill him.”

Barry chuckled as he turned his gaze onto her. The look in his eyes was so grateful and loving. “Thank you for being so encouraging and ok with all this. I know you still don't trust or like Len, but you are letting me go help him without complaint.”

Iris gently cupped his jaw, thumb slowly brushing over the apple of his cheek. “I can tell helping him means a lot to you. I’m not going to stop you, especially if you aren’t getting hurt and you feel like you’re making progress.”

He leaned into the touch, basking in it for a few minutes before he quietly spoke again, “I am. He trusts us, something huge for him. He’s opened up too. Not like Leo, but ways completely his own. He’s an incredible cook, even knows how to bake, but apparently Mick is the better baker and griller. He’s great with kids and super intelligent, comes up with a lot of new ways to do their homework with them and teach them the subjects. Not only is he a great teacher of academia, but he’s helped teach me a lot in sparring. He can even teach planning and critical thinking to a five year old.” He watched her for a few moments with that same loving look in his eyes. “Thank you for not begrudging me this opportunity to be a part of this.”

“Of course not, babe. I love you. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

He smiled then turned his head to kiss her palm. “I want you to come and really meet Len, Iris. I just know you’ll see what I see when you do.”

She was taken aback for a moment. Could she be objective if she did what Barry was asking? She looked into his pleading gaze and sighted mentally. She’d do anything for that man. “Alright. Just tell me when.”

His answering smile was blinding, and he was immediately kissing her. “You won’t regret it.”

He continued to kiss her, longer and more searching each time. Soon, she felt them subconsciously moving, her hands tugging at his thick brown hair, pulling him close, his body settling between her legs. She hooked a leg around his hip, seeking some friction, causing him to moan against her lips. Soon, they were moving to lessen the amount of clothes between them before sinking into each other.

******

Her opportunity to meet Len came a couple of weeks later. She’d gotten a stomach bug that got her hopes up for a baby, but her monthly blood bath came and Caitlyn confirmed that it was a virus and not pregnancy. She was disappointed, but there was nothing she could do about it. They would just keep trying.

She stopped her mind from continuing to wonder as she entered STAR Labs. She was meeting Barry in the cortex before Cisco vibed them all to the Bunker. Barry was running himself ragged the last few days, after her bout with illness, because of an increase in mob disputes. It really looked like there was going to be a mob war before too much longer. She saw her husband first, head back, face to the ceiling, eyes closed, as he sat stretched out in one of the rolly chairs. Cisco was the next she spotted. He was typing away at one of the computers. She knew he’d been researching a pattern to the mob activity. Snart had suggested an outside source to be the catalyst, and they were inclined to believe he was right.

She cleared her throat upon not seeing Caitlyn or Ralph. Both men startled, Cisco with a startled yelp, and Barry with a startled snore. Both turned to look at her as she laughed. Barry gave a tired sigh before pushing himself out of the chair and over to her to give her a kiss on the cheek. Cisco slumped against his table before sighing and saving his work.

“Ready?” The engineer asked.

“Sure.” Iris turned to her Speedster, “The question is: are you ready? You look like you could use a nap. And I know for a fact you’ve been working late here and at CCPD.”

He gave her a gentle kiss. “I’ll be ok. It’s best to go on ahead and do this now before the mob war hits. Felicity and Len think we have about a week before it really starts and the outside factor shows itself. Lisa said her Rogues overheard a Metahuman bragging about the family he’s been recruited to, and how, soon, they’d be on top.”

Iris clicked her tongue, “That was certainly reckless of him.”

Cisco shrugged, “Not everyone leads like Len and Lisa. Besides, we’re pretty sure he was planted for continued recruitment. They want to show their power as being a family of Metahumans while also giving the idea of more freedom than the Rogues have. At least that’s how Len summed it up.”

“It makes sense,” Iris agreed. Those Snarts did have a hell of a grip on their Metahumans.

Cisco hummed his agreement as he put on his gloves and opened a breach to the Arrow Bunker. Barry led Iris through with Cisco following closely behind.

The scene they came in on was of Caitlyn chewing Oliver out while the others watched. Lisa seemed to be quietly doing the same to Len as she wrapped his wrist. He was also holding himself gingerly in the chair beside a concerned William and J.J. A bandage was already placed on his forehead.

Barry sighed. “Spar must have gotten out of hand. Len looks exhausted, so he must have pushed himself too much, and Oliver didn’t try to stop him but instead actively engaged. Otherwise Caitlyn and Lisa wouldn’t be so pissed at them both.”

Iris glanced at her husband then back at the scene. “Is this common?”

The Speedster sighed, “Sadly. It’s gotten worse since Len’s powers went crazy. The thing is, he’s already learned incredible control, and he continues to improve.” He waved his hands towards the scenes, “This just proves that Len really is practicing himself into the ground when no one is around.”   
  
Felicity’s voice quietly popped up, “Caitlyn found a small fracture in Len’s wrist. She came in on Oliver performing a double kick that jostled Len’s broken wrist thus opening his guard to land the second kick to Len’s ribs. It knocked the wind out of him, plus his general exhaustion from running himself too hard, and when Oliver followed through with a punch to the head, Len couldn’t dodge it. He went down hard, and his forehead was split open. Caitlyn fixed him up before starting in on Oliver, and you came in the middle of that.”

Cisco huffed out a chuckle as he picked up the tablet sitting on the table beside them and read what was on the screen, “That fracture in his wrist wasn’t the only thing she found on his scans. Neither one of them are going to be able to spar together without supervision for a while.”

“Len is such a perfectionist.” Barry sighed.

Iris and Felicity shared a look. Neither were willing to call the Speedster out, regardless of how ironic the statement was. Cisco snorted, obviously reading the look in the women’s eyes.

The hacker cleared her throat. “Maybe you should go save Len from his lecture. He has the injuries to not learn from.”

The reporter looked to her husband in question, and he smiled with a nod, motioning her to follow him.

When they got closer, they could see that Lisa was putting the final touches on the stabilization wrap she’d done on her brother’s wrist. “Barry, Iris, maybe you two can get it through my idiot brother’s thick skull why he shouldn’t train half to death like a dumbass.”

Iris chuckled, “I would try, but I’ve been trying to get the same thing through the thick skull of my husband and it hasn’t worked yet. I doubt I’d get through to your brother.”

Barry gaped at her while Cisco snorted. “She’s not wrong, buddy.” He clapped the Speedster on the back causing him to hiss. “And you just proved her point.”

Len’s sharp gaze landed on the lanky brunette, and Iris could tell he was searching for anywhere her husband had injuries. His eyes tracked over to her for a moment before resting on Barry once again. Barry glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes before shaking his head. There was a beat before the thief gave a dramatic eye roll.

Finally his full attention was on Iris, and she had to admit it was a little intimidating. “Mrs. West-Allen, what a pleasant little surprise to see you again. I do hope I haven’t caused you too much grief by taking up so much of your husband’s time and attention.”

She casually waved it away, “If you can finally teach him to fight properly, my dad and I may hug you.”

“No need for all that, Mrs. West-Allen. I’m not exactly the touchy-feely kind.”

Barry was almost immediately in his space, arms gently but securely around the older man. “Unless, of course, you’re the right person.”

Len gave the woman such a put-upon look before sighing and patting the other man’s arm with his uninjured hand. Iris was surprised by how well she was able to read the thief. He really was worried about Barry, no matter how annoyed he was with the man.

“What happened, kid? You’re hurt.” Len turned his attention back to the man hugging him.

“It’s fine. I heal fast.”

“That’s not what I asked, Scarlet, and you know it.”

Barry just pushed himself deeper into Leonard’s side. He wasn’t going to answer, and the thief knew it, so he turned his inquiry to the others.

Iris didn’t know. She didn’t get to STAR labs until after he’d already done whatever it was that got him injured and changed. Finally, Cisco sighed, “One of the mob members went off script if the others’ reactions were any indication, causing an explosion. That explosion was near Barry, and he slammed against a building. It skint up and bruised his back badly, nearly dislocating his shoulder.”

Suddenly, they heard: “What?!” from Caitlyn.

Barry tried to bury himself deeper into Len’s side. The older man sighed before trying to nudge the Speedster into standing so he could follow. “Come on. She’s gonna want to look me over too. May as well get our lectures over at once.”   
  


The CSI groaned but followed his friend to the spare bedroom, Caitlyn angrily leading them both. Iris was in a bit of shock at the interaction she’d just been a part of. She was pulled from her surprise by a chuckle from Cisco and a snort from Felicity.

The reporter turned to look at the two of them, “What?”

Felicity shook her head as Cisco spoke up, “Just the look on your face. It’s a little bit of a shock to see this side of Len, I know. It’s just funny to see the reaction of people that weren’t aware of how protective and how much of a worrier he actually is.”

The hacker nodded, “His history made sure of that. His earliest memories were of having to protect his mother, and then it was his little sister. I mean, it’s been his life since he was a small child. He’s even taken to protecting Mick and now us.”   
  


Oliver walked over, rolling his shoulder before ruffling his son’s hair. “Len’s taught me a lot about being a parent as well. Some of my team don’t understand why I trust him to stay here or trust him with William. Their problem is that they don’t want to see beyond Len’s past and see who he is today.” He crossed his arms over his chest, watching the reporter closely. “Which side are you, Iris?”

She was taken aback as suddenly Cisco and Felicity’s demeanors changed, eyeing her as well. It hit her then that it wasn’t just her husband that was attached. It wasn’t just Snart that was protective of the others. They were all extremely protective of him as well. She gave a soft sigh, “I’m willing to try to see the man that has gained so much loyalty from people he’s kidnapped, tried to kill, or has a general dislike of the criminal element. I owe Barry that much.”

After a moment, Oliver nodded before turning to William, “How’s the homework coming?”

The boy bit his lip, “Almost done. I’m just waiting on Len for the last thing. He promised to show me a few new tricks with it.”

The archer nodded, “He’ll be finished in a few minutes.” He turned to Lisa, “Tell Len I’m doing dinner. He can help William, and I’ll cook before I go off on patrol.”

She laughed, some of the tension leaving the female thief. She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she moved away from the table. She tapped Cisco’s shoulder as she made her way to the door the two men and Caitlyn were behind. She gave a knock then walked right on in.

It was only a few minutes later that all of them were exiting the room, Barry looking more chastised, Len just smirked, and Caitlyn looked annoyed. The ice-user walked over to the table where the boys were sitting. The Speedster took his place at his wife’s side, arm draped over her shoulder. Iris leaned into his side, watching Len working with William and then J.J., giving them his full attention.

After the boy’s homework was done, and everyone ate dinner, Iris decided to take a moment to talk to the thief while everyone else was occupied. She took the seat across from him, simply observing for a moment.

It was Len that broke the quiet, “Mrs. West-Allen, finally come to check me out, see if you really want your husband hanging out with me?”

Iris gave it some thought. Was that why she was willing to come meet him? After a beat, she answered, “I can see the positive influence you’ve had on him. He’s a lot more cautious during patrol now. He’s improved a lot since he’s started to visit you so much. So, no, I’m glad he’s been hanging out with you. I just wanted to meet this new you, the one Barry says you’ve always been.”

“Barry is too trusting for his own good.” Len commented. “But. But he did get the ball rolling on what I’ve been willing to show others.”

They were quiet again for a moment before. “You were really good with William earlier. Do you babysit often?”

He chuckled, “William can take care of himself already, but I am working with him when Oliver can’t teach him. J.J. will be next, once his bruising heals. I’m going to make sure he knows how to break a grab first thing.”

“Grab?” She was surprised. She hadn’t heard anything about one of the Star City children being kidnapped.

Len decided to ease her worry, “Some teacher thought it was a good idea to manhandle a five-year-old because he showed her he was smarter than her. I’m not going to leave that kid defenseless, especially since most of his classmates don’t trust or like him anymore thanks to her.”

Iris shook her head, “I hope she’s gone.”

“She is. Diggle made sure of it.”

“Good. I would hate to have to write a piece on the corruption, neglect, and abuse some schools hide from the eyes of the public in order to keep up status.”

He chuckled, “Using her as a prime example?”

“Yep.”

After that, Iris was surprised by how easily the conversation flowed between them. She found she really enjoyed his company.

After they went home, Barry curled around her, holding Iris close. He kissed her temple. “What do you think about Len?”

She turned in the bed to look into his eyes, “I’m shocked that I really like him. I think I’m starting to see the man you’ve seen all along. I’d really like to keep getting to know him.” She bit her lip, remembering what she was thinking earlier as she watched the other man with the kids, heard him talk about J.J. “I think, when that time comes, I want Leonard to be a part of our baby’s life, as an uncle just like Cisco. I feel like he should be on the short-list for babysitting duty, right behind dad, Cecile, and Caitlyn.”

The Speedster’s eyes widened before a large smile broke across his face. “I know that’s still subject to change, but I’m really happy with that plan.”

She kissed him, “I’m glad. I want to get to know him better. I’ll help him with dad as well when that meeting happens. He’s got to come home and out of Oliver’s basement eventually.”

Barry laughed before he went in for a deeper kiss, and on to showing her just how pleased he was with the idea, and how eager he was to enact it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm very sorry that this is ONCE AGAIN late...I have no idea why this keeps happening, and I can not say it won't happen again because I'm a veterinarian and days get a little tiring. I hope you feel like it's worth the wait!


	4. Correcting Some Misconceptions Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe West gets a little bit of a wake-up call and an eye-opening experience when it comes to Leonard and Lisa Snart.

Joe wasn’t happy. He didn’t understand how his son and daughter could become so chummy with a criminal, let alone two. There had to be an angle of some sort, he just couldn’t figure it out. The original Team Arrow couldn’t even see it, and that just spoke to the level of con artist they both were. Even Cisco and Caitlyn seemed to have forgiven them. Joe had to find a way to reveal Snart and his sister’s true intentions and protect his family.

He walked through STAR labs, a place the group hung around less and less after patrol. At the sight of a sleeping Ralph and a fully preoccupied Harry at the computers monitoring crimes and no one else, it hit Joe as to what was going on. He cleared his throat, startling Ralph enough he fell out of his chair. Harry simply spared him a glance before returning to his work. 

“Where is everyone? Did they all go on patrol?”

“No,” Ralph grumbled. “They all headed over to Star City again. I swear they spend more time there than here, depriving me of the presence of Frost.”

“She would kill you,” Harry commented. “You aren’t either side’s type.” He turned his attention to Joe. “Felicity needed some help with their computer set up, and Snow went along to give physicals to the kids since J.J. Diggle wasn’t feeling well, and the boy’s parents and Mr. Snart were worried about him. Barry went over to train with Mr. Snart and Mr. Queen.”

“And they left just the two of you to defend Central? What if the Rogues decided to go on a spree?” Joe’s disbelief was painted all over his face.

“Hey! What’s wrong with us?” The P.I. glared at the detective.

“We are monitoring the city. If the others are needed, we’ll call them, and Ramon will breach them over.” Harry’s attention was back on his project. “Besides, the Rogues haven’t done anything in a long while. They’ve gone quiet.”

“Exactly. Barry needs to be here because they have to be planning something big and city shaking. He doesn’t need to be hanging out in Star and keep being blinded by the con artists.” Joe growled, “Besides, when I came in, Ralph was sleeping and you weren’t even paying attention to the monitors.”   
  
  


“Yet I knew the moment you stepped onto the elevator. Don’t act like you know how I do my job, West.”

Joe scoffed, but Ralph continued from Harry’s point, “Also, isn’t Snart and his sister the leaders of the Rogues? They’d want to be there and since Snart’s still recovering from death, and his sister won’t leave him, they can’t exactly do that. What could they be planning?”

“That’s just it. All of you are being taken in by the con. They are just biding their time until they can strike.”

Ralph muttered, “Conspiracy theorist much?”

Harry shook his head, “Have you paid any attention to Barry lately?”

“What has that got to do with anything?”

The scientist shook his head with a sigh, “That tells me no.” He turned his attention fully to the detective. “He’s happy, relaxed, and showing a much more calculated approach in his fighting. He’s using his head and fighting skills a lot more than he ever has, and I guarantee that’s because of Snart. Queen’s tried to get him to do that multiple times over the years and always failed. He’s even getting injured less in his fights during patrol. Ramon is even learning how to fight under Snart and Queen. Snow has even been training with Ms. Snart, coming a long way already. Those two have become friends with this team and have been helping them all greatly. Why are you blinding yourself to all of this?”

“I’m telling you, it’s all a setup. Even Snart and Rory going on the Waverider was part of the long con.”

Ralph gave the man a disbelieving look, “Including him getting killed at the Oculus? Because if that’s part of the plan, that’s a horrible plan. Snart is a meticulous planner, the reason there was so little evidence against him. He wouldn’t plan out a con this sloppy. Besides you can’t exactly plan how or if you’re going to come back from the freaking dead.”

Joe simply shook his head, “You’ll see. You’ll all see.”

He turned and left the cortex and ultimately the building. Those two, he knew, weren’t going to listen to him when the others were putting ideas in their heads and were closer to them. He went home to try to plan.

********

That weekend, at family dinner night, Joe decided to talk to Barry and Iris about everything. After they ate, they moved to the living room, Barry telling a story of William, J.J., and Len from the previous week. The boys were doing so well with their self-defense and were loving teasing and playing with Len, even if the man had become one heck of a mother-hen since the younger boy had fallen slightly ill.

Finally, Joe had to say something, “How are Queen and Diggle letting Snart teach their kids? I mean, how are they not worried he’s going to corrupt them? They can’t be that blind to who Snart is?”

Barry eyed him, “Who he is? You mean the hero and Legend that gave his life to protect his crew, his family, and give our little section of the multiverse its freewill back. Or do you mean the abuse victim who was never given an option to be anything but a criminal thanks to his father sabotaging his every attempt?”

Joe cut in, “No, I mean the thief and murder that’s playing a long con to destroy all of the heroes. You’ve all let him right into your lives, him, his sister, and his partner. They are all in the perfect position to ruin all of you. They are killers, Barry. They can’t be trusted.”

The Speedster was quiet for a moment before sighing slowly, “That’s how you feel, Joe?” At the other man’s sharp nod, he continued, “Then you don’t trust Caitlyn? She’s killed.”

“Not the same thing, Barry, and you know it. Same goes for Iris killing Savitar.”

Barry slowly nodded, contemplating, “Then what about Sara and Felicity? From your standards, they nor Oliver can be trusted.”

“And how is that? How are you lumping them in with the likes of Snart?”

“Sara’s an assassin, has been for years. Before that she was a henchwoman that effectively tortured information out of anyone she was ordered to. Oliver killed his first targets routinely, killed many since, between being the Arrow and becoming the heir of the Demon Head of the League of Assassins. And, of course, Felicity has the largest body count of any of us by simply changing coordinates of a nuke. Every one of them is a murder in some capacity. If I followed your logic, I would have no friends, no allies, no support. If Sara can become a hero that you say you trust, why can’t Len? You don’t know him like we do, Joe. You haven’t taken the chance to get to know the real man behind the criminal record.”

Joe sighed, “I can’t trust that he isn’t running a con.”

“He wouldn’t have planned on dying, dad. He’s not running a con. You have to meet him, truly meet him.” Iris stated. 

“I refuse to be blinded like the two of you. I’m not going to trust him. I can’t understand how you can.”

Barry stood, “No, Joe. You just can’t stand that you may be wrong about something, and I’m right. You’ve never been able to trust my judgement, no matter how many times I’ve been right, when I’m going against you and your opinion.” Suddenly the young man looked so run down, “I’m tired of never being enough for you, Joe.” He turned to Iris, “You ready to head home?”

Iris nodded, knowing better than to try to smooth things over at the moment. Her dad was in the wrong anyway, and she needed to show Barry that she stood with him. “Bye, dad.”

She stood, feeling her father’s disappointed and surprised gaze on her back. Iris clasped Barry’s hand to steady him, leaning against his side to ground him. She knew his words stemmed from more than just the Leonard Snart situation. Their dad was constantly second guessing his instincts, judgement calls, and decisions. It was something that weighed on Barry constantly. She had her issues with their dad as well, like how he was so adamant she wasn’t going to be a police officer, but she never had it as bad as Barry. Her husband always strived for the approval of the people closest to him, and it hurt him deeply when he never seemed to be able to be enough. She would suggest they take a few days away from Joe, give them both time to cool down and think things through. It wasn’t likely Joe would concede to their point, but it was worth the try to support her husband. 

*******

Over the next few days, things were rough and awkward between him and Barry. The Speedster kept everything professional anytime they spoke, and it was driving him crazy. Joe knew the only way to really fix things was to actually give Leonard Snart a chance, something he really didn’t want to do, but to get his kids talking to him again, he’d do it. He really hated how well his own tactics worked on himself.

Sitting at his desk in the precinct, he suddenly remembered that Quentin Lance was a member of Team Arrow, and the man was previously a police detective and captain. He had to agree with him. He’d heard Barry say that multiple members of Team Arrow didn’t like the Snarts being there. He had to be one of them. He slipped out to a corridor, cell phone out and pulled up the other man’s contact. After a beat, he pressed send and put the phone to his ear, waiting for an answer.

A couple of rings later, and Joe heard, “Just put that down over there, Lisa. Thea’s gonna be thrilled you already got the clothes for the banquet tonight.” His attention fully turned to the phone, “Assistant Mayor: Quentin Lance.”

“Quentin, it’s Joe West. I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things.”

“Barry ain’t come around today, but is everything ok with him lately? We’ve been a little worried.”

“We had a little argument a few days ago. It’ll be fine eventually; it always is. It’s actually a little related to what I wanted to talk to you about. The Snarts are staying at the Bunker. How is that going?”

Quentin was quiet for a moment, and Joe felt vindicated in his thoughts about the family of criminals. And then the other man began to speak. “Len and Lisa have actually been great to have around. Lisa’s been able to help Thea and Felicity with a lot, especially clothing and accessory choices depending on the meeting and who was present. They both have incredible abilities to take in details and have been the reason for a lot of deals being done in the city’s favor and have not been made because they were trying to screw over the city. Len even pointed out a few that worked with our latest enemy. Thea was livid with one of them because she’d threatened to get William taken away from Oliver and Felicity if they didn’t do what she wanted. Len pointed out all of the evidence that led to her getting arrested.” He chuckled, “Len’s also been a great babysitter and helps with their homework. William and J.J. have learned more from Len than their teachers. Oliver and Diggle have joked about home schooling the kids and having Len teach them. He’s better at it.”

Joe was in shock, “You don’t think they’re pulling a con?”

Quentin scoffed, “Of course not. Len hasn’t had time to start one, not that he’d be inclined. He’s someone some of the most good-hearted heroes I know grieved for, including my daughter.”

Joe hadn’t really thought of that. He hadn’t really thought of time passage. And it had been pointed out to him before that the thief couldn’t have planned his own death and return. Sara Lance was a rarity, and even she needed the Lazarus Pit, something that needed a body to give life back to. “But, the Snart’s are criminals. Nothing about that will change. They are going to lie, steal, cheat, and hurt people. It’s who they are. They can’t change, won’t change. They have to be planning something and are tricking everyone.”

A sigh came over the phone, “That explains the argument.” After a beat, something that felt judgmental to Joe, Quentin continued, “Do you know anything about them beyond their rap sheets?”

“Haven’t really needed to. Those rap sheets told me enough.”

“Obviously not. If it did, you would be able to see two siblings that every authority figure failed, causing them to lose every chance to better their lives. Did you know that Len was slated to graduate high school early? Lewis got him put in juvie again because he was going to leave with Lisa. Lisa was going to get a scholarship for ice skating. Lewis forced her on a heist, broke her leg before the college tryouts. Len barely kept her out of jail. Reading about the scars on prison reports is a helluva lot different than seeing them in person. To know that ninety percent of those scars on both of them were caused by someone that should have loved them, makes me sick. Should make you sick too. When I look at them, I see two people that have been protecting themselves from everyone for as long as they can remember. They are two people that had the idea that they didn’t deserve any true happiness beaten into them.”

“But they’re criminals.”

“So are Oliver, Felicity, Sara, and your kids at STAR labs. Not only is vigilantism a crime, but people have died either by their hand or because of something they’ve directly done. Barry has done some B and E as the Flash. My baby girl is an assassin. Felicity has the highest body count out of everyone. You went along, happily, with unlawful imprisonment. Every one of the kids we watch over have been thrust into these impossible situations, given the choice to either stay the same or become more. Len, Lisa, Sara, and Mick weren’t given a choice in what their lives were going to be. They’ve forced that change and made a new choice be present.”

Joe didn’t know how to respond to that. If he’d been asked if he saw Sara, Felicity, Cisco, or Barry as criminals, he’d say no. Sara hadn’t been in control of her choices in the League. Felicity had a lose-lose situation with the nuke. Cisco hacked government and police databases and satellites to protect the city and the world. Barry couldn’t save everyone, not even when things went awry during a Meta-battle. He couldn’t account for everyone’s inabilities or actions. He couldn’t have stopped the singularity any other way. He didn’t have to listen to Thawne and try to save his mother either, but would anyone have really not taken that chance? Really?

“You still there, West?” Quentin’s voice came through the phone at his ear.

“Yeah. I’ve got some work I need to get back to. I just wanted to, uh, check in and get your opinion.”

“Just think about things without that right and wrong filter. Think in greyscale.”

Joe hung up shortly after, still not sure how to respond. He really expected back-up from the other, though ex, police detective. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was more conflicted than he ever thought he would be. 

The rest of the day, and the following few, he wrestled with his own point of view and the point of view of the others. Barry was still being professional and distant. He was given cooler responses from the rest of the team. Finally, after being ignored for the majority of the night, he was starting to get frustrated. Things around the city were getting tenser, and he knew Barry needed all the support he could get.

Joe slipped over to Iris, tapping her on the shoulder and motioning to the hallway. She nodded, silently letting Cisco know she would be right back. She met her father outside the cortex, arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m done with this radio silence. I’ll do what you both want and meet this supposed new and improved Leonard and Lisa Snart. Barry needs support, and he won’t allow for it if he’s still mad at me.”

“He’s not mad, dad.” The reporter shook her head, “He’s disappointed that you can’t just trust him. You even called Quentin and wouldn’t even take his word for it. You called hoping he would prove you right, and I know you have no idea what to do when your clean-cut ideal wasn’t supported.”

He sighed, “You’re right.” He huffed at the shocked look on her face. “Set up a time, and I’ll meet them, find out if I can see what you and everyone else is seeing or if I’m right.”

“You aren’t, but I know you need evidence, evidence that you’ve found, not what is pointed out. I’ll find out a time and let you know.” Iris took a breath, “Thank you, daddy.”

“Don’t thank me yet, baby girl. My opinion hasn’t been changed just yet.”

“I know, but it will,” she stated confidently before she turned and walked back into the cortex.

********

It was a couple of days later that Joe was called to STAR labs for his chance to finally visit the Arrow Bunker and meet the Leonard and Lisa Snart everyone else seemed to know and like so well. Cisco opened a breech so they could step through and came to land in the main area of the Bunker.

The two men looked around and finally found everyone on the stage area with the computers. Felicity was typing away furiously while Leonard stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest and a com link in his ear. He was concisely giving directions down to the length of time until they needed to be performed. 

Joe was amazed at how well they all worked together. There was a trust between this group and Leonard Snart he never believed would happen. The normally prickly man gently rested his hand on Felicity’s shoulder when she gasped out at the sight of Oliver being shot off his motorcycle. He was already informing the others of the trap and how to react accordingly. It took Diggle to reinforce the man’s advice. In the end they were able to finish their mission of the night quickly and were already bringing an injured Oliver back to the Bunker.

Cisco hummed quietly, “That was a faster take down than normal. Len’s really good at directing everyone when they listen to him. He’s also the kind that has plans for his plans, so he usually comes up with something better on the fly. Now, when they get in with Oliver, Lisa’s going to be the one to sew him up. She’s had so much practice on Len over the years.”

Joe wasn’t sure how he felt about that knowledge. But he didn’t get the chance to really contemplate it before the outside crew ran in with the soon-to-be patient. Lisa rushed forward, ready to work on the injured man in Caitlyn’s place. Handing Oliver a bottle of vodka and waiting for him to down a mouthful of it, Lisa got the suture kit and forceps into place and picked her instruments. Once they were both ready, Leonard stepped forward, placing the other man’s hand on his forearm. Both men gave a nod to Lisa, and she took that as her signal to get to work. She splashed the vodka on the wound on Oliver’s side before going in with the forceps to remove the bullet. Fortunately, it wasn't that deep, so she didn't have to dig around too much. She just removed the large portion, however, leaving behind the fragments. There wasn't much she could do about them, and going around trying to find them all would just increase Oliver's chances of bleeding out. From there, the young woman washed her hands off, doused them with the vodka and picked up the suture instruments. With a practiced ease that made Joe's stomach flip, she quickly sewed up Oliver’s wound in two closures. After she stepped away with her supplies, Felicity stepped in to clean and bandage the wound.

Cisco gave a proud whistle as they watched Len shake out his arm, giving Oliver a smirk, one that turned amused when the blonde man hissed in pain from his wife being slightly rougher than he would have liked. "Lisa did great with that. All of her practice with Caitlyn's really paying off."

"Practice? Caitlyn's teaching her how to sew up wounds?" Joe looked down at the younger man in surprise.

The brunette shrugged, "Cait can't always be here and at STAR labs. I mean, Diggs can do it, but there've been a couple of times both him and Oliver needed treatment. Caitlyn was here for one of them, so she took one and Lisa offered to work on the other. It was a crude job, but it worked. We asked her how she learned, and Len apparently taught her when they were both kids, and he needed someone to fix him up after their crap father cut him open once. Their practicing of skills came the same way, so Caitlyn has taken to helping them refine the skills they’ve known for so long.”

Joe knew of the abuse, at least knowing what had been in the police reports from prison, knowing that the police had been called by not only Leonard Snart himself but also a few suspicious adults in his and Lisa’s life. He also knew that each one of the reports were swept under the rug. He’d always wondered how much of them were true. Yes, he knew that Lewis was a horrible person, a dirty cop, and took his anger out on his kids, but he never knew it was as bad as what Cisco was making it out to be. How young did Lisa have to learn to stitch up her brother? How young did Leonard have to learn to stitch himself up?

“How bad was it for them, Cisco?” Joe finally asked.

The engineer looked up at him, “How bad was what?”

Joe sighed, “The abuse, Cisco. The scarring I read about in the jail reports, how bad is it all really? Was the abuse as bad as what was reported by outsiders?”

“I didn’t see it. I knew he would be uncomfortable with too many people seeing him when he was being undressed and redressed after he came back, especially since he was unconscious. But I do know, Quentin, Oliver, Diggle, and Barry were pissed about what they saw. I’ve also seen a couple of Lisa’s scars, and they were bad. Like thick and jagged. Apparently, it was a broken beer bottle, and she was about eight. She spilled a drink near some plans he had for a heist we all knew he would have failed. Len stopped him before he could actually kill her, but his goal had been to kill her at the time. Len took the rest of the beating, but got her to the hospital. The hospital wanted to report Lewis, so after the treatment was finished, he took her and ran. It was just a few months later that Len taught her how to do stitches because Lewis cut him with a broken bottle after he got shot in a heist Lewis forced him on and the old man screwed up.”

Joe continued to watch the two move around the area. He noticed how tense Lisa held her back. Leonard’s shoulder didn’t want to move. He watched as Ramirez stomped up to Leonard, angrily, grabbed the injured shoulder, and spun him around, yelling, “Snart! Oliver getting hurt was your fault! You don’t belong here, you useless piece of crap!” He shoved the taller man, using the grip around his shoulder, before punching him.

Leonard didn’t dodge. He just stumbled backwards, but Ramirez still had a tight grip on his shoulder, pulling him back for another punch. Diggle stepped in as Felicity yelled at the aggressive man. Thea and Roy pointed notched arrows at their team mate.

Leonard continued to stare, unseeing, unresponsive. Joe knew the look in the man’s eyes. He was locked in a flashback. The man was beginning to breathe heavily, mentally locked away. Lisa slipped up to him, began to talk him down, gently herding her older brother to their room.

Joe never expected his heart to hurt like it suddenly did. Oliver getting hurt was because Ramirez screwed up the plan. Cisco scoffed beside him. “That idiot. It was his fault, but he shoves the blame onto someone else.” He sighed, “Never thought I would see Len triggered again. I’ve seen Lisa quite a few times over the last couple of years, but Len only once, but I can't blame him. Jerk was treating Len just like Lewis did: screw something up, violently punish the innocent party because he doesn't want the consequences.”

The police detective stared at the two in question, watching their slow journey to the sanctuary of their room, “That shoulder he grabbed, was that an injury from training? And Lisa was walking stiff. That from training?”

Cisco shook his head, “Not completely. The injuries were originally from Lewis. Apparently, Len was shot there, stabbed there, and burned by cigarettes. Thanks to that storm the other day, he can’t move that shoulder at all right now without pain. Oliver and Diggle are a little too scared of Caitlyn to train with him even though he really wants to.” His eyes shifted around the room, watching Diggle put Ramirez through drills. “Lisa’s stiff because of that storm as well. Lewis kicked her a few too many times in the back, hips, and shoulders over the years.”

Joe couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could someone do that to their kids? As mad as he could get at Iris and Barry, even now, the idea of hitting them, scaring them, never came to his mind. How could that cross his mind? They were his kids, and so was Wally. He loved all three so very much. Quentin’s words came back to him, about how he saw Lisa and Leonard Snart as two scared children who were failed by every adult in their lives, intentionally or not.

He remembered, in a flash, a small scrawny teenager with a defiance in his eyes as he held his little sister, a handful of years old, as he explained away the bruise on his own face, the split lip, and the obvious signs of abuse and torture. He explained away the split lip and tenderly held arm of the little girl. The boy’s eyes darted to anywhere but the beat cop that found them at the park, alone, in the snow, even though the playground was closed at that time of day. His partner called them horrible names, hurtful names, said they needed to stop causing their father so many problems, making him look so much worse than his criminal activity, all the lies they spread. Leonard and Lisa had been called liars for so long that, even at a young age, no one saw what was in front of them. He didn’t see what was in front of him. 

The sight of Leonard - Captain Cold - Snart flinching from his sister’s touch as the sound in the bunker increased was disturbing. Joe watched the man’s breath catch and silently speed up, his eyes squeezed shut, his arms going up to protect his abdomen and head. He stumbled away from Lisa, starting to shake. Ramirez was yelling insults at Diggle, Leonard, and Lisa. Diggle was in drill sergeant mode in that moment. Joe could see how negatively it was affecting the Snart siblings. Both of them were falling into attacks. In that moment, Joe knew he had to stop it all, worried about the mental state of the two siblings. So, he gave a sharp, loud whistle that broke through the room, silencing everyone. Both siblings flinched at the noise, and he could swear he heard a whimper from one of them. 

All eyes turned towards the detective in surprise. He cleared his throat, “How about you all shut up for a minute. You have someone trying to rest up an injury and two people trying to fight off panic and anxiety attacks. Ramirez, you’re the reason Queen got hurt. You didn’t follow the plan, you got impatient and that nearly got Oliver killed. You need to learn to think before you act, especially if you’re acting because you don’t like the one with the plan. I know Oliver’s already worked on beating that into you.” He turned to Felicity, “I think your husband needs to give this guy the Barry treatment.”

“Oh, I will. Won’t have to worry about him being out to screw up Len’s plans either for a while.” Oliver grunted. 

Joe nodded as he slowly made his way over to the Snart siblings. He made sure to not to push too close to them as he walked over to the door. In a soft voice, he spoke, “Lisa, I’ll get the door open for you then help you get your brother inside. He’s going to need a rest after this.”

She eyed the detective, “Why do you care now?”

“I’ve been told for the past couple of months that the two of you are more than what I’ve read about all these years. I’ve seen for myself what they were talking about, and I’m working on changing my own opinion. I don’t completely trust the two of you, but I can see that the both of you are being completely you right now, you aren’t trying to hurt anyone. You both are opening yourselves up to be hurt, and that takes a lot of trust. Right now, the two of you need to be helped and looked after.” He opened the door slowly for them. “And,” he paused for a moment, “I’m sorry for not looking deeper than what my partners would tell me about the two of you over the years. I should have stepped up and done something, found a way to give you what I gave to Barry, but I didn’t.”

Lisa shook her head, a slight tremor still going through her from her anxiety attack, “You would have ended up dead, just like anyone else that tried to help Lenny and me, and then you wouldn’t have been there to give Barry that loving home he needed.”

That shouldn’t have been what they worried about, but more and more he understood that was really who these siblings were. After that, both of them worked to gently talk Len into the room. Neither one of them wanted to touch him and set him off worse, so it was a slow process. Anytime the room would begin to elevate in sound, Joe would send the others a glare, instantly shutting them up.

After they finally got Leonard in the room it was a while before Joe left the room. He wanted to make sure both Snarts were going to be ok. It wasn’t until they’d both settled into the room that Joe even realized that Leonard was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, something he’d never seen him in, not even in prison. He knew it was because the tattoos along the man’s arms hid that fact, and upon closer observation they were intricate and detailed. That closer look also revealed numerous scars being hidden by those tattoos, ones telling a story of a hard and painful past. He recognized gunshot wounds and knife attacks, burns from flesh held too long over the flames, burns from cigarettes pressed into flesh for too long. It painted a picture Joe couldn’t ignore, not as a cop, but especially not as a father.

When he finally left the room, after making sure Leonard was out of the panic attack and resting well, after being certain that Lisa was going to be ok, he sent another glare to Ramirez before Quentin stepped up and guided him away. Diggle was dealing with that man again, and he didn’t want to disturb that, mostly because he didn’t want Diggle to stop punishing that man. Joe was pissed, even if he couldn’t deal with the source of his anger. Lewis was dead and rotting with no one to miss his sorry life. Joe understood what the others were seeing, what his son and Quentin saw. 

The retired police detective led him to a more sequestered area and waited for him to speak, to talk about what he was thinking. The problem was, Joe couldn’t pin anything down. His mind was running far too much with questioning why he didn’t see what was in front of him, why did no one seem to care before now, and what would have happened to those two if he’d stepped in like he had with Barry?

Finally, Quentin cleared his throat, “I know that look. Don’t go blaming yourself and chasing those ‘what ifs’. They ain’t gonna help you or them at all.”

Joe sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, “The signs were always there; they were just ignored. I’m just mad that no one was willing to see them, myself included. Then there comes the fact that Barry could have turned out just like that if I hadn’t stepped in with him.”

The other man shook his head, “But you did, and the past is in the past. It can’t be changed. My daughter and her crew will always say that time wants to happen and changing the past could cause something worse to happen, or just change how everything started. You just gotta be there now because I can promise you, those two are searching, craving, and longing for people to care for them and take some of the hardship load off their shoulders whether they want to admit it or not. Be someone they can count on from now on, and I promise you, you will have two of the most fiercely loyal people you will ever meet on your side. They just gotta believe you don’t have an angle and that they can trust you. It may take a while for you, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’ll be worth it.”

Joe nodded, “I get it, and I see what you and everyone else have been saying. I have a history with both of them that’s gonna be hard to get past, but I think I’m going to be willing to try. We’ll see how it goes.” He glanced over at Cisco who was, by then, standing by himself, trying to not get in the way of the others training or Felicity trying to lead the group in the field. “I think, by the awkward stance Cisco’s got going, it’s time to head home. I’ll be back to visit as soon as I can.”

Quentin nodded, shook his hand and let Joe head back over to his transport back to Central City. Cisco startled slightly as the detective walked up behind him. “Ready to go?” The engineer watched the detective closely, trying to get a read off him. 

Joe sighed but simply nodded. His mind was still racing. He vaguely heard Cisco announce that they were heading back to the lab before the portal was opened, and they both stepped through. The detective would admit, if only to himself, that he was going to do everything he could to be better with the Snarts, try to put his trust in them so that he could be someone they could trust and lean on if need be. He knew he’d never be their first choice, just like he still had questions about their future intentions. He finally came to terms with the idea that presently, they were not playing a con. One can fake a lot of things, but it’s not so easy to fake a panic attack of the likes he’d just seen from the Snarts. The future may still need to be seen, but he could hold out judgment until the time arises. He’d be ready to be someone the two needed, or someone his family needed in the aftermath of it all. He swore it to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I dropped the ball so badly during this update. I honestly got so busy with work that I forgot the first weekend, and then after that I got sick to the point of actually not being able to go to work. And of course now we've had the snow/ice storm (Louisiana ain't prepared for this crap). I will try to be better, I swear!


	5. It's Not a Disease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa and Cisco have a moment after the mob war.

Cisco gently led Lisa away from Ralph. He was mildly worried about leaving the man with Leonard, but if anything happened to him, it would be his own fault. Cisco could only save him from one Snart at a time.

He glanced at the woman to see a slightly faraway look in her eyes. “You ok?” He kept his voice gentle.

She jumped slightly before turning a sly smile on him. “Of course,” she purred. 

Cisco gave her an unimpressed look, “You and your brother, and this hiding your feelings thing, when are you going to stop the act?” He shook his head, voice softening, “I’ve seen you at some of our lowest points, multiple times. Have I really changed how I treat you that much and that unpleasantly?”

She sighed deeply, “No. It’s a defense mechanism. I know none of you would hurt me, especially not you.” She followed him into his lab, arms wrapped around herself. Once he closed the door, she continued, “I’ve just had too many run-ins with pigs like him. Now, I can deal with them, especially if they get handsy. I’ve learned how easily they break. But,” she shuddered, “it wasn’t always that way. Lewis’ friends were freaks that liked young pretty things, no matter the gender. One of them was my first kill. Same with Lenny. Lewis thought it was funny. Oh, he beat us both times for killing his friends, but he told us he was proud of us for getting rid of some of his competition.”

They were quiet for a few minutes. Cisco swallowed thickly, but turned to his work bench to give her a moment to calm herself down some from the emotional rush. Then, “I’m glad Len killed him.” He paused a moment before continuing, “Lewis, I mean. I hate that he felt he had to, but I’m glad he did it.” He glanced over at Lisa, over his shoulder, “He didn’t deserve either of you.”

She swayed up to him, draping her arms over his shoulders, nuzzling her face into his hair, “Oh, Cisco, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were sweet on me.”

After a breath, and knowing she was being at least a little bit serious, he reached up and took her hand in one of his. “And if I am?” He kept his voice soft.

Lisa tensed slightly but quickly moved to press a kiss on his jaw. “I’d say you have good taste, and we’ll see where that leads.”

Cisco blushed but gave a sharp nod, being sure not to hurt the woman. His hands, wanting to fidget, went straight to his latest research after he released her hand. He still settled back against her to let her know he didn’t mind her being there. Her arms shifted from his shoulders to his waist. Her head rested on his shoulder, watching him work, indulging in the fact that she was taller than him.

After a few minutes, she asked, “What are you working on?”

He cleared his throat, “Well, I’ve been isolating the genetic markers that indicate the change in DNA between humans and Metahumans. All of the samples I’ve tried so far show the same genetic markers, and I’ve tested multiple sets, even your brother’s.”

“That’s pretty awesome,” Lisa commented. “That would be great for helping hospitals be better prepared to treat patients. It would even be good to help other professionals.” Then she hummed, “Granted, it could be a whole new way for Metahumans to be discriminated against.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I’m going to use that genetic marker to base a cure on. I’m going to make a cure for Metahumans.”

Lisa tensed slightly, sensing something in his tone. “Like a disease?” She pulled away to watch his body language better. “Do you really believe being a Metahuman is a disease? I mean, it’s a great thing to be able to help those with debilitating powers, like your friend Bette, or that boy that aged himself to death by using his powers. But,” she eyed him, “it’s not a disease, it’s a genetic change that gives humans the ability to be more.”

Cisco shook his head, eyes not moving from his research, “It’s a genetic change like cancer.”

She recoiled in surprise, “What? Cancer? Is that how you see all of the Metahumans? They’re a cancer? Yourself included?”

“Being a Metahuman is like having cancer. The people themselves are not the cancer.”

“So, Barry and my brother are freaks because they’ve embraced their disease? They’re too stupid to know they need saving from themselves?”

He turned to her, eyes wide as he took in her hard glare, “That’s not what I said, Lisa. They aren’t like that. They’re different.”

“Oh really? Barry and Lenny are fine, but literally every other Metahuman needs to be fixed? Does that include Caitlyn, Jax, Stein, and that moron Ralph? Does that include you?” Her voice was steel as she continued to glare at the man.

“I didn’t ask for these damn abilities,” he snapped. “None of us did! Thawne forced us to become this way! He kept saying he made our lives better by forcing us to become...this!” He motioned with his hands. “He’s still manipulating and controlling us all even now, years after he got sucked into that singularity. He ruined our lives! How can I keep living with these powers when I know the person that gave them to me was a power-hungry psychopath out to kill my best friend?”

“Oh, boo, freaking, hoo, Cisco. You never would have met that best friend if it wasn’t for that psychopath. Besides, at least he’s making the most out of things. He got betrayed by Thawne, probably worse than you because you didn’t have to listen to that same man slaughter your mother while all you can do is sit with her as she dies. With all of that baggage, he still loves being the Flash, having his powers to help people, even if people like my brother and me have to pull him out of his guilt trips sometimes.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought you were stronger than all this, Cisco. Guess I was wrong.”

His shoulders slumped, and looked so tired, “What would you have me do, Lisa?”

“Use those powers in a way Thawne wouldn’t have: be a damn hero.”

He ran a hand through his hair, “But can I really be one?”

“I don’t see why not,” she shrugged one shoulder. “You saved me.”

He sighed, “Should I finish the cure?”

“Of course, though I think ‘cure’ is the wrong word. I know you can come up with something better. There are people that have abilities that are detrimental to their health. Those people need a way of getting rid of the genetic change or have it manipulated so that it’s not harmful to them. I think the city needs an education system in place about Metahumans. There have been too many killed for being different. It can’t be just the Metahumans that need help. Humans do too.”

Slowly, he nodded, “Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yeah. I’ll continue my research, but I’ll try to stop looking at it as a genetic defect and more as a genetic evolution.”

“Good.” She kissed his temple. “Now, let’s get back to the party.”

He blushed brightly, a relieved smile on his lips as he nodded. She gripped his hand tight and led him back to the cortex. Both a little closer than they had been before, understanding each other a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone asking when the main story will be updated...soon is the answer.


End file.
